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Sept. 25, 1962 J. TISCH 3,055,116 I PLATE-GUIDING TRACKS FOR MATCH-MAKING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .gf 39 [f7 3,2 'Q2 43 18 IHEELLgg 77 2 l 313 /NvE/vroi? JOSEF TlSCH A TTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1962 J. TISCH 3,055,116

PLATE-GUIDING TRACKS FOR MATCH-MAKING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NvfA/o/P 33 JOSEF TISCH United d Patented Sept. 25, 1962 hoe dle PLATE-GUIDEN'G TRACKS FR MATCH- ltfiAr'IN@ MACHINES Josef Tisch, Il Bredtschneiderstrasse, Berlin- Charlotterrburg, (germany Fited Apr. 27, 195% Ser. No. 869,1@9 4 elairnsa (Cl. 34m-2M.)

This invention relates to plate-guiding tracks for matchmaking machines.

It is customary in match-making machines to convey the plates provided with splints, after paraffin dipping and drying of the splints, upwardly in serpentine multi-stage guides in order finally to direct them to the ejecting device. In the serpentine stages, the material is dried, hot air being introduced into the stages at many points.

At the turning points of the serpentine guides, so-called turning curves are provided, that is to say semi-circular guide parts, around which the plates slide in close formation under the influence of the thrust exerted on them. In many respects, this arrangement has considerable disadvantages. In the rst place, the individual stages represent pockets which are closed at one end, and in which no actual circulation of air and removal of moist air is possible. On the other hand, at the turning curves of one stage side, the matches of the plates project inwardly, i.e., towards the centre of the turning curve, and this makes it necessary to have large curve diameters in order to prevent the heads of the outermost matches of the closelyfollowing plates from touching each other and thereby being damaged. The large turning curves again mean a considerable height of the stages and hence of the entire machine. Since, however, this necessitates a low positioning of the lowest stage bottom, experience has shown that supervision of the machine from below is rendered very difficult. Finally, in the known constructions, the unavoidable friotion between match heads in the region of the turning curves often leads to damage.

The invention provides a novel system of plate-turning eliminating all these disadvantages.

The invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawing, which shows one example and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically an overall side view of a conditioning chamber equipped with the improved plate-turning devices, while FIGURE 2 in an enlarged side view and FIGURE 3 in front view showing an individual plate-turning device, and FIGURE 4 shows part of an individual plate in plan,

In FIGURE l, 5 denotes the foundation on which a match-making machine is built. Entry of the raw material into this machine commences on the left-hand side of the drawing into the feed apparatus-not shownfrom which the splints arrive via a magazine to the pushin device. After this station, the guide track 6 for the carrying plates provided with splints passes horizontally to the right, first via a heating device 7, a parain-dipping apparatus 8 and nally to the match-head dipping installation 9.

As soon as the plate track 6 has left this installation and has travelled a certain distance further to the right, it turns upwardly at 11, and is returned to the region above the paraffin-dipping installation, the heads of the matches provided with dipping composition projecting upwardly.

Subsequently, the match material is introduced into a conditioning chamber, which has a floor 12 and a ceiling t3. In this conditioning chamber, the plate-guide runs to-and-fro in serpentine fashion in known manner, so that the plate-guide track forms a plurality of superimposed stages 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Within the conditioning chamber, the matches are to be dried and made ready for use so that it is desirable for a regulatable and controllable air circulation to take place in the conditioning installation and between the individual stages. In order, however, to be able to supply the drying air in an ordered manner and to exhaust the moist air, the latter must be able to pass freely between the stages. This and other purposes are achieved by the manner in which the plates at the stage ends are transferred from one level to the next.

At the end of each stage, there is a so-called turning curve, denoted generally in FIGURE 1 by 24 on the lefthand side, and 25 on the right-hand side, a plurality of such turning curves being arranged one above the other in the conditioning chamber, as will be seen from FIG- URE l. When the successive plates carrying the matches are passed in close formation over the guide track and hence of course over the turning curves, pockets closed at one end are formed between the stages, which would make impossible a regulated current of drying air. Thus, for example, the space between the stages I6 and 17 would be closed on the right, that between stages 17 and I8 on the left, and so forth.

In order to remove this disadvantage, which exists in all known match machines, the principle is adopted according to the invention that the carrying plates are passed round the turning curves not in a closed series but individually. A device which makes this possible is shown in lFIGURES 2 and 3.

FIGURE 2 shows by way of example the stages 17 and I8 with a turning curve 24 connecting them. The stages are in practice formed by the guide tracks, on which the carrying plates 27 move when these carrying plates are led along the guide tracks under the influence of the thrusts suitably imparted by the conveyor tracks 6 themselves. The carrying plates of stages 17, 18, lie so that the matches 28, 29 inserted in them project into the inner space between the two stages.

In the centre or axis of the turning curve 24 is mounted a shaft 3-see also FIGURE 3preferably so that it extends over the entire width ofthe laterally adjacent guide tracks. Fast on this shaft is a pawl 31, which is so formed and dimensioned that its tip 32, when it moves in the clockwise direction, can project into the gap 33, left between the two necks 26 of which one is shown in FIG. 4, of adjacent plates 27'. More particularly, this takes place as indicated in chain lines in FIGURE 2 in such a manner that the pawl tip 32 in each case projects into the space between the Iforemost plate `27 and the following plate of the particular lower stage 17.

Advantageously, matters are so arranged that a pawl is associated with each lateral end of a carrying plate. Consequently, when the shaft 30 revolves and the pawls mounted thereon are thereby rotated, the latter push the foremost lower carrying plate individually round the turning curve 24, while the following carrying plates for the time being remain stationary. The result of this is, however, that the entire region of the curve 24 remains free for the drying air current passing between the stages.

On the shaft 39, together with each pawl 3l or its hub 3i' is mounted a cam disc 3d, which therefore also revolves continuously with the shaft 30. This shaft cooperates with a double-armed pivoted lever 35, which is mounted on a pivot 36, and is connected atV its lo-wer end 37 to a spring 33 while its upper end 39, like the pawl 31, can project into the path of the plates on the guide track of the upper stage 13. The movements of the pivoted lever are controlled by the cam disc 3ftvia a follower roller 40 of the pivoted lever in such a manner that the lever end 39 is moved in the clockwise direction against the force of the spring 3% acting on it.

The operations of the pawl 31 and the pivoted lever 35 are so timed in relation to each other that the lever end 39 projects behind the carrying plate All, which has been conveyed upwardly round the turning curve 2a by the pawl 31. The function of the lever 35 is to push this carrying plate 41, and all the carrying plates 42, 43 and so forth situated in -front of it further by the width of a carrying plate on the horizontal stretch and thus to make room for the next carrying plate coming from below.

The arrangement according to FIGURES 2 and 3 has not only the advantage, already mentioned, that the lspaces between the stages remain open in the region of the turning curves, but also ensures that the matches of successive plates can no longer come into contact with each other on the path round the turning curve, which in the known machines, caused not only partial snapping of these matches or at least damage to the heads, but above all, `possible conflagrations.

While in these prior constructions, attempts were made to eliminate or ameliorate disturbing factors by making the radius of the turning curves as large as possible, the radius of the curves can now be substantially reduced by the use of the plate-turning device according tothe invention, which of course is accompanied by a considerable saving in overall height. Previously, -for example, the diameter of the turning curves was M30-5G() mm., but can now be reduced to about 180 mm. The consequence of this, however, is not merely that the match-making machine as a whole can be made of comparatively flat construction, but as will be seen from FlGURE 1, it enables the door 12 of the conditioning chamber to be situated much higher than heretofore, so that the space below it, in which of course various units of the machine are situated, becomes readily accessible and thus can be conveniently supervised.

Even though plate-turning devices according to FIG- URES 2 and 3 would only be necessary at those turning points at which the matches of adjacent stages are directed towards each other, it is also quite feasible to equip all the turning curves in the manner described.

As will be seen from FIGURE l, openings 44 and 45 are situated in front of the plate-turning devices and serve for the admission or discharge of the air current sent through the stages. In the example shown in the drawing, matters are so arranged that the openings 44 of the outlet side are Ialigned on the horizontal central plane of the turning curves, while on the inlet side, the openings 45 are situated in the region of the space between the stages. Horseshoe elements 46 and 47 serve as a sort of valve seat for pivoted or rotatable ventilation flaps 4S, 49 co-operating with them. Consequently, according to the way in which these ventlation flaps are adjusted relatively to the parts I46, 47, the cross-section of passage for the air is increased or reduced. In this way, the arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to control the separate stages of the conditioning chamber quite individually.

The valves 48, 49, yare situated in pre-chambers 56 and 50', respectively. While the former terminates in an exhaust duct S1, with which if necessary an exhauster can be associated, the pre-chamber S0', which may be fitted with guide surfaces or deiiectors 52, 53, is connected via a duct 54 with a blower 55 through a heater 56. In this way, heated air can be selectively forced via the openings 4S into the individual stages, whence it flows away through the openings 44 into the duct 5l. The entire conditioning chamber operates extremely intensively and appropriately, .so that even at a high velocity of the plates carried over the stages, a very high performance can be attained.

lt will be appreciated that instead of being supplied with a heating air current, the conditioning chamber may be heated by other heating units, such as by electric resistance, infra-red radiation or high-frequency induction units. e

The shaft 39, on which the plate-turning devices are mounted, will normally revolve continuously. However, it may be Irotated intermittently in a pre-determined working cycle and in order to be able to regulate the necessary phase displacement in the action of the pawl 3l and the pivoted lever 35, the cam disc 34 may be adjustably mounted on the shaft 3l).

Furthermore, it is not necessary for the plate-guiding stage 57, which follows the paratlin-dipping and matchhead dipping stage lil, to be situated outside the conditioning chamber.

What I claim is:

1. in a match-making machine having a plate-guiding track extending continuously in serpentine manner through a plurality of superimposed track stages connected one with another by turning curves, and matchcarrying plates adapted to be moved in succession along said track, plate turning means associated with at least one of said turning curves and comprising a rotary driven shaft located at the center of said curve, a pawl mounted on said shaft for rotation by it adjacent to said curve and having a free end arranged to engage between two adjacent plates on the lower track stage at said curve and to push the foremost plate of said adjacent plates around said curve into a beginning portion of the plate path on the next higher track stage, a lever having a plate-engaging end movable into and forwardly along said beginning portion, and control means operating upon said lever as said shaft is rotated toA move said lever end into and along .said beginning portion following each movement of a plate into said portion by said pawl, so as to advance the plates along Vsaid higher track stage.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim l, comprising a plurality of said tracks in side by side relation to accommodate a plurality of lines of said plates, said shaft extendwidth of saidV tracks and having associated with it a pawl, a lever and control means as aforesaid for each end of a plate on each of said tracks.

3. In a machine as claimed in claim l, said lever being mounted for oscillation on a lixed axis, said control means v comprising a cam mounted on said shaft adjacent to said pawl, said lever carrying a cam follower to coact with said cam, and spring means continuously biasing said lever in a direction to hold said cam follower against said cam.

4. In a match-making machine having a plurality of i plate-guiding tracks arranged side by side and extending continuously in serpentine manner through a plurality of superimposed track stages connected one with `another by turning curves, and match-carrying plates adapted to be moved in succession along said tracks, a conditioning chamber enclosing said tracks, said track stages forming at the alternate levels thereof sub-compartments each of which is open at one end of said stages and is bordered at the other end thereof by one of said turning curves and within each of which said plates travel along the bordering lower and upper track stages, an air header space in said chamber at said one end of said stages and communicating directl f with the open ends of said sub-compartments, means for introducing drying air into said header space, another air header space in said chamber at said other end of said stages, means for exhausting air from said other space', plate turning means associated with said turning curve of each of said sub-compartments for periodically engaging the foremost plates on the lower track stage thereof and pushing `such plates individually around said curve onto the upper track stage thereof .so that the ends of said sub-compartments bordered by said curve are kept continuously open for the ow 0f drying air through the sub-compartments, and throttle valve means 5 in each of said spaces in association with the respective ends of said sub-compartments in each of said spaces for regulating the distribution `and ow or" the drying air through the sub-compartments.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gsell Aug. 31, 1915 Harris Nov. 18, 1924 Harris Oct. 5, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 24, 1923 Sweden Nov. 20, 1928 

